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Michael Oglesby is unveiled as High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

In a ceremony this afternoon at Manchester Town Hall, Michael Oglesby, founder and chairman of commercial property company Bruntwood, has been unveiled as High Sheriff of Greater Manchester. His official installation came after the Queen, in an ancient ritual, pricked his name in a piece of parchment with a bodkin and signals his becoming Keeper of The Queens Peace in the county

Appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, the High Sheriff carries the duty to ‘protect and assist in upholding the dignity and well being of Her Majesty’s judges and to represent the Queens executive powers in respect of the administration of justice in the county’.

Michael commented, “Becoming High Sheriff is a very great honour. I arrived in Manchester nearly 40 years ago with my family and I owe this city a very great debt for all that has happened since. During that time Manchester has changed beyond recognition and I hope I have played a small part in making this happen and look to do so for many more years in the future.”
Michael (67) was born in Scunthorpe and as Executive Chairman, devotes a third of his time to Bruntwood; the company he founded in 1978. Voted Businessman of the Year 2006 in the North West by the CBI he spends much of his time on a variety of civic and charitable interests.
He is currently chairman of the Steering Board for Cancer Research Centre, MIDAS, the inward investment agency for Greater Manchester, The Royal Northern College of Music and The Oglesby Charitable Trust.
In addition, he sits on the Board of the North West Business Leadership Team, the Manchester International Festival and is leading a team building a new school for Cheethams School of Music. He is Vice President of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
He has been married for over 40 years to his wife Jean and they live in Bowdon. They have two children, Chris and Kate both of whom work in the family business. His son Chris is Chief Executive and daughter Kate HR Director and Company Secretary. He has five grandchildren and in May 2006 he received an honorary law doctorate from the University of Manchester.

Michael’s personal interests are varied and include music, sailing, skiing, walking and theatre. His support of theatre and new writing is extensive through Bruntwood’s Bursary for New Plays which has been running for 10 years and the recently launched National Bruntwood New Playwriting Competition which runs in partnership with The Royal Exchange Theatre.

Though Bruntwood and the Oglesby Charitable Trust which was established in 1992, Michael currently awards in the region of £1m each year to arts and charitable causes.